Phoenix Suns Pleased With 43 Minutes Of Kings Game And Like The Small Lineup

There's so much to talk about with this Suns team this season. There's hardly been a stretch of more than a couple of games where you felt like things were falling into a predictable pattern and you could guess with a lot of accuracy how the team would perform in certain situations.

That lack of consistency in all things Suns hasn't helped the team find it's way to a winning record. But on the bright side, it leaves plenty of fodder for us to talk and write about. So there's that.

The consensus from Grant Hill and Alvin Gentry after today's practice -- another fairly long one by Suns' standards -- was an overall sense of satisfaction with the first 43 minutes of the Kings game and disappointment in the final five minutes.

There wasn't nearly the consternation with the small line up that us arm chair experts seemed to have. That could be because they know better than us (as if), but it also could be because they know all the other options are even worse so they have to put on a brave face.

Either way, here's what Grant had to say about playing power forward, " I enjoy the idea of playing the four."

Hill said he needed to make some adjustments such as finding someone else to inbound the ball after made baskets so he could still leak out and create havoc early in the offense but overall he was pleased...with the lineup anyway.

"It worked against Detroit but didn't work last night. Obviously, the rebounding thing was disappointing. Just losing period. It's getting old. That was a tough one."

Gentry said that Hill did a great job on Jason Thompson and even tough Carl Landry had 12 rebounds, the Kings power forwards combined to only go 7-21. Hill wasn't sure if the Suns would start small against the Lakers big, skilled front Gasol/Bynum court but he was sure that group would be on the floor together at some point.

Gentry did suggest that one reason for the small lineup is the lack of consistent scoring from Channing Frye.

Frye's three-point shooting has fallen from 44% last season 35% this season. He is still taking exactly 4.8 threes per game in both years and his made threes have only fallen from 2.1 to 1.7 per game. The percentages can be a bit misleading.

"He still creates space on the floor, but we would like to have more production from him. It helps our offense tremendously when he's making shots," Gentry said.

And as we all now know, when Fyre scores 15 or more points, the Suns are 6-1.

"I know it's an old cliche, but you really do have to play 48 minutes. I thought that we were really good for the 43 minutes."

These are the type of games you have to win and when you don't win it's put pressure on you to find wins in other places.

They made 12 out of their last 14 shots and still finished in the low 40's. Did everything needed to defensively. Just didn't put ball in basket in last five minutes of the game.

"(Steve) knows he should have been (more aggressive) but they were double-teaming him on the screen and rolls and he was doing what he was supposed to. He was getting the ball to open guys. We've got to make the shots. We've got to knock them down."

"Our offensive execution was good, but it's only good if you put it in the basket. You can have great shots but if they don't go in, I don't know if I would call that great offensive execution."

"Garcia, we didn't box out and he got two offensive rebounds. Casspi, you know the one thing on the scouting report that we said about is you can never ever be far enough that he can catch it and shoot it. We had two breakdowns in the last couple of minutes where he made two threes. Those are the things that can be easily corrected. The rebounding thing has been kind of an Achilles Heal for us the whole season, we have to get much better in that area right there if we're going to be a playoff team. That's just the bottom line, really."

"We still have 50 games and it's not a lost season yet by any stretch of the imagination but we have to get this turned."

"Nobody's going to help us or feel sorry for us. If we're going to do it, we're going to do it ourselves and we're working towards that. We had a nice spirited practice today."

Done a good job defensively in the last two games controlling dribble penetration.

"We just got to find a way to keep our spirits up and try to put together a winning streak. That's the bottom line. We can sit here and talk about it but in order for us to get back in the race that's what's going to have to happen."

"We have to continue to play with confidence. I think that's a big thing for us too. We have to play with confidence and feel like we're a good team and feel like we can get over the hump."

"It's tough, it's tough. That's the thing about the NBA, your confidence, it can fluctuate so easily. You win a couple of games like we did early in the season, we beat Denver and L.A. or something like that and you're feeling good but then you can also lose to Philly and Sacramento, Philly at home in a game that you've got to win to stay in the playoff race especially in the West, and then you go to Sacramento...I would say we're not the most confident team right now."

Moral victories don't apply. They either put it in the right column or the left column and right now we've got too many in the right column.

Grant Hill

Came in and watched the last five minutes of the game.

Execute better on both ends. Had the game under control. Tough loss.

"We try to look at it like a learning day, look at that experience as an opportunity to get better and it just goes to show, you've got to play for all 48 minutes."

Tough to sleep but sun shines in the morning when you wake up.

Last five minutes: Gave up offensive rebounds. Didn't front the post. We didn't continue what we were doing earlier.

"Sometimes you just have to look forward and not look back and I think we'll do that."